Tattoo done, cash in hand, Ace wiped her hands clean, her mind still buzzing with the job. She turned to head back inside—only to almost crash into Max right in the hallway.
"Whoa—" Max caught herself, blinking up at Ace, her dark eyes momentarily caught in the light.
Ace swallowed, her heart tripping over itself. "Uh, hey."
Max's smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes flicked to Ace's hands, then back up to her face. "You working?"
"Always."
Max's gaze lingered, biting her lip as if choosing her words carefully. "You ever do tattoos for free?"
Ace felt her pulse spike. She tilted her head, trying to stay cool. "Depends on who's asking."
Max stepped closer, and for a moment, Ace forgot how to breathe. The scent of vanilla and cigarettes wrapped around Max like a second skin. "I was thinking… maybe you could give me one."
Ace's brain short-circuited. Max. Wanted. A. Tattoo. From. Her.
Jayson's voice broke through the haze from across the room. "Yo, Ace, you good?"
No. She was not.
But she forced herself to smirk, brushing off the sudden rush of nerves. "Yeah. Let's do it."
A MOMENT WITH MAX Pt. 2
The moment Max asked for a tattoo, Ace forgot how to breathe.
It wasn't like Ace had never tattooed someone before. She'd done dozens—friends, strangers, even herself. But this? This was different. This was Max. The girl who made Ace's heart trip over itself and her mind glitch. The girl who smelled like vanilla and cigarettes.
And now she wanted Ace's art on her skin.
"Right now?" Ace tried to sound casual, though her voice betrayed her.
Max smirked, a playful glint in her eyes. "You busy?"
No. Yes. Maybe. Shit.
Before Ace could sort her thoughts, Jayson appeared, slinging his arm around her shoulder. "Ohhh, this is good. This is so good."
"Shut up, Jayson," Ace muttered, shoving him off.
Kyle, leaning against the doorframe with a drink in hand, was grinning like he was watching a live reality show. "Tattooing the girl you like? That's intimate. Hope your hands don't shake."
Ace shot them both a death glare, then turned back to Max, trying to ignore the wild beat of her heart. "Yeah. I'll do it. What do you want?"
Max lifted the sleeve of her hoodie, revealing the smooth skin of her wrist. "Something small. Something meaningful. Surprise me."
Ace swallowed hard. No pressure or anything.